Out of the much anticipated 3,000 slot machines, the primary 278 slots stepped into the Rivers Casino on Monday and the lag in the process is reported to have been because of the casino’s owner concentrating on one of the massive construction projects in Pittsburgh.

Greg Carlin, CEO of Holdings Acquisition Co LP reported that he was amazed at the achievement at the very short period of nine months after they restarted their construction.

This happened when Holdings Acquisition, led by Carlin and Chicago billionaire Neil Bluhm, acknowledged approval from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to control 75 percent stake in the project from Don Barden’s Majestic Star, which failed to pay $200 million bridge loan and has assured that the work will be over well before the deadline and would fall within the budget.

On top of the casino is a 1.3 million-square-foot parking garage with 3,800 spaces on Pittsburgh's North Shore, which is at the most complete.  According to the Rivers’ president and COO, Ed Fasulo, for the post of 1,053 full-time jobs at the casino for an annual payroll of $34 million, had now received 40,000 applications and by now approximately 400 jobs had been offered. Also Jack Cooney, Keating’s project superintendent, said that nearly 2,000 workers had contributed to the project.

John Hill, the project executive of Philadelphia-based Keating Building Corp., a partner of the Smoot Construction of Columbus, Ohio on the $300 million worth 450,000-square-foot project informed that all the major work has been accomplished and they are left with only minor final touches as the casino is expected to open in the early August.